Cloth-cutitng machine.



G. L. BALLARD.

CLOTH CUTTING MACHINE.

APPHCATION FILED JAN. 13. 1917.

Patented Oct. 22, 1918.

2 SHEETSSHEET l- III! Hll ll W Z? agmwdm G. L. BALLAHD.

CLOTH CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 13. 1917.

LQ8Q,669. Patented Oct. 22, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

GEORGE I4. BALLMD, 0F NOBRISTOWZN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGHOR T6 WJZILDMAN MFG.

. 90., OF NOEEISTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, A GOBPGBATIOIQ' QF PENNSYLVANIA.

CLOTH-CUTTING MACHINE.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented net. as, tars.

Application filed January 13, 1917. Serial no. i-caeao.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE L. BALLARD, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and resident of Norristown, Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cloth-Cutting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The invention consists inlthe features and combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims, some of the features relating to the general organization of the machine.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a central vertical sectional view of the machine.

Fig. 2 is a front view with the pressure foot and its support swung aside and exposing the cross head, crank and adjacent arts.

p The object of the invention is to provide a cloth cutting machine driven b an alternating current motor and in whlch the cutter will be of the reciprocatory type.

It is' desirable to employ an alternating current motor because ofthe more general availability of current of this character, but the speed of such motor being dependent upon the speed of the generator is objectionable in connection with a reciprocating knife, unless special provision is made for the transmission of the power to the knife.

In order to attain high production with a reciprocating knife itis desirable to have the stroke thereof of the maximum length, sayone inch and five-eighths (13) but a stroke of this length under high speed, such as an alternating current ,motor would ordinarily impart, is objectionable, because of the excessive wear particularly on the crank pin and cross head connection. In order to meet the diificulties I have provided aconstruction in which the knife has a long or maximum stroke, but is driven at a reduced speed in respect to the speed of revolution of the alternatin current motor.

The motor as its armature on a vertical shaft 1 and the field coil surrounds this armature, being concentric therewith. The

reciprocating knife 2 is carried by a cross .head 3 moving on guide rods 4 held at their upper ends in an upper housing member 5 and at their lower ends in a plate 6 secured to a lower housing member. These housin members are held together by bolts 7 and they clamp between them the field coil of the motor. The cross head is reciprocated by a pitman 8 connected to a crank 9 on a shaft 10, which is journaled in bearings formed with or supported on the upper housing member 5. This shaft is driven by a gear 11 on the vertical shaft of the armature meshing with a gear 12 on the shaft, said gear 12 being arranged at the right of the gear 11 and between it and the bearing in which the shaft 10 is journaled. This gearing constitutes reduction driving means for the knife which, therefore, instead-of working at 3600 strokes a minute for 3600 revolutions of the armature is reciprocated at 2600 strokes per minute for the high speed of the armature above mentioned, and this slower movement of the knife renders it possible to give to the knife a strokeorf the desired length, say one and five-eighths inches (1%"), thus preventin undue wear on the bearings, which woul' otherwise be caused by the thrusts of the reciprocating parts.

The upper housing section not only carries the bearings for the horizontal transmission shaft, but it has an extension housing 13 forming the casing for the crank and it has the bearing for the upper portion of the vertical armature shaft. Further, it has the upper bearing 14 of the hinged front plate 15, which carries the presser foot. The lower housing 'section besides carrying the lower bearing for the vertical shaft of the armature carries a bracket 16 formed therewith and extending forward from the housing. This bracket is connected or formed with the post or standard 17 in which the reciprocating knife is guided.

The presser foot may be of any suitable variety. As shown, it comprises a rod 17 carrying the foot plate 18 at its lower end, which has a slot to receive the knife, and this rod is suitably mounted on the outer or front side of the front plate. This front plate covers the power transmittingmechanism, consisting of the crank, the pitman, the cross head and associated parts, and by throwing this front plate aside, on its hinge connection the presser foot is removed from the knife and further the parts just described are made accessible.

It will be noted that the-motor, the armature and its of the knife and nism leaving the front of the machine free.

The two part housing clamping the field of the motor in place and providing as to the 11 per section, the bearings for the shaft.-

ing, t e crank casing, and part'of the hinge support for the swinging front plate, and

as to the lower section providing the lower hearing 20 for the armature shaft the bracket 16 for the knife guide or. post and the carrier for the support 6 of the cross head guides and a- 14' of the hinge connection for the" ront plate provides a supplemental housing for a crank, a hori-- zontal shaft in said bearings, gearing between the said horizontal shaft and thevertical shaft, a reciprocating cutting knife, a crank in said supplemental'housing and on the horizontal shaft, a' pitman connection between the crank and the knife, a post in which the knife is guided, the saidlower housing section having a bearing for the vertical armature shaft and having a bracket aaaaeaa connected with the knife guide post, a front ereby, saiol ront plate covering the crank and the pit-I late, a presser foot carried t man connection when in normal positron, said front plate being hinged to the upper and flower housing sections to be swung aside to remove the presser foot from normal position, and to expose the crank and pitman, substantially as described.

2. In combinatioln in an electrically driven cloth cutting machine, an armature, aver tical shaft carrying the same, a field coil surrounding the armature, a reclprocating kmfe at the front ofthe armature and its field coil, a cross shaft, gearing between the same'and the armature shaft, a cross'head carrying the knife, a crank and pitman connection between the horizontal shaft. and the knifecross head, and u per and lower housing sections clamping the field coil between them, and having bearings for the vertical shaft, the upper section having bearings for the horizontal shaft and a supplemental housing for the crank and the lower section having a bracket, a guide post for the knife. extending down therefrom, guide means for the knife cross head extending between the upper and lower housing sections and means for connecting the up er and lower sections of the housing.

' n testimony whereof I affix my signature.

GEORGE L, BALLARD, 

